Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-04-21
Farm AND GARDEN.

To RETARD BLossoMIN9. An expe-
rienced farmer says that the apricot is
the trst OF our fruit trees 10 blossom in
spring; and this is just the reason why
the fruit is 20 often killed by late spring
frosts. The blooming time may be re-
tsrded By the application of litter, or
der the trees. in mid-winter. Plum
groa ers along the Baltic Sea, in North
ero Germany, Otter secure crop of
plums by the same means, when late
frosts. otherwise. would have ruined it.
The SHRINKAGE OF FLANNEL.-To
keep hanneis as much as p ssible from
shrinking and felting the following is to
be recommended: Dissolve one ounce of
potash in bucket of water, and leave
the fabric in it for twelve hours. Next
warm the water, with the fabric in it,
and wash without rubbing, also draw
throHgh repeatedly. Next immerse the
flannel in another liquid containing one
spoonful of wheat -four to one bucket of
water. and wash in similar manner.
Thus treated, the flannel becomes nice
aud clean, has barely shrunk. and almost
not at all felted.-Scientifc American.
To DESTROY ROSE SLUes.-Nothing
will so thoroughly destroy rose slugs as
wood ashes. The ashes must be sifted
on early in the morning when the leaves
are damp, the branches being turned
over carefully. so that she under SIDE of
The leaves. to which the young slugs
cling, may get their share Of the siftiugs.
If the night has been dewless. in order
10 make the work thorough, first sprIn>
kle the bushes, and the ashes Will then
cling to the sluss, to their utter des rue
tioD. This may be repeated without ill.,
jury to the roses as often as the pests
make their appearance.
NITRATE OF SODA AS A FERTILIZER.
In reply to numerous inquiries Orchard
and Garden states that nitrate of soda
is especially valuable for the very earli-
est garden crops, and on soils which
have been heavily manured in previous
years. 1t has somewhat the appearance
of salt. and is readily soluble, costing
about $50 ton, or from three to four
cents per pound in smaller quantities.
AS the article is generally coarse and
lumpy, it ought to be broken up fne-
ON the barn floor, for instance before
being applied. All gardeners are adj
vised 10 try it for early crops, broadcast
ing it over the land at the rate of sever
eral hundred pounds to the acre. You
will be sur prised at the result.
FEEDING YOUNG PIGs.-A floating
Item declares that the general treatment
of pigs seems to be based upon the idea
that they are naturally greedy and glut-
tonous animals, and that this habit
should be encouraged as much as possi+
bic. Hence all the diseases which 30
frequently affect pigs. When a young
pig Is a tender animal his stomach is
not much larger than that of human
Infant The same age, and yet people will
cram the little creature with sour slOp,
grease, milk, and corn meal until it can
swallow no more. and when the pig is
sick one wonders what is the matter.
FERTILIZERS NOT TSTIMULANTs.-Her
ia suggestive contribution to the dis
cussion on fertilizers. The New Eng
land farmer contends that fertilizers are
no more stimulating to plants than is
cows milk to the new born calf that
sucks it. Fertilizers are simply plant
food. and if properly made they are so
prepared that plants can make them i'm
mediately aYsilzble as food. A tables
spoonful of concentr rated fertilizer sprin-
killed. into the earth where a hill of corn
is to be gr0wD.is simply material for feed
ing the young corn plants 10 their earltr
est stages of growth, before the roots
have reached out aud filled every inch
of soil for space Of three or four feet
square. The term "stimulant" should
be bsnished from the vocabulary of the
teacher of fertilizer philosophy.
THE practical FARMER." Ben:
Perley Peore says In the American Cul>
tivator: often use the term practical
farmer" and by that 1 mean something.
A man Is not practical farmer simply
for the reason That he Is not carpenter
or blacksmith. Nor is II from the fact
that be inherited farm from his father
and could not sell It. And if be stays
on farm from necessity, because he
cannot stay anywhere else, be is not a
practical farmer. A man that has failed
in almost all callings of life. and finally
adopts the farm, is not practical farm
er on the theory that nothing was made
in vain. By this term l do not intend
to refer to a man whose barDyard Is
bounded on one side by the North Pole,
and on the other by the public highway,
without any intervening fences. Nor
do apply this term to a man whose
brrn is ventilated all over, winter and
summer, though ventilation is good
thing. When | use the term it is not
intended to be applied to those who per-
NIT their agricultural implements to be
exposed to sun and rain the year round,
on the theory that such treatment cam
not hurt the paint. as they are not paint
ed. Nor have in mind that man who
prefers bars to gates. when the bars are
lost and the bar posts have rotted on.
1 would not be understood as referring
to man who has not visible means of
support, to any one passing bis farm.
Let the traveller. as he passes along :he
public highway, see how many practical
farmers he can count in days ride.
PeiraiCum V. NRahY.